Published on Brock University (http://www.brocku.ca)
News from the Department: Archive
SHAW Summer Internship Program
Published on March 29 2012
Every year Brock's emerging artists have an opportunity to intern with one of Canada's most renowned theatre organizations, the Shaw Festival, for a six-week intensive learning experience. Early in the new year an application is offered to students who successfully complete DART 4P92 "Voice and Text of Bernard Shaw" as part of their final year of study. One deserving student is invited to polish their studies at DART by interning with professionals at the top of their game as they create productions for the Shaw Festival season.
Graduating student Robyn Cunningham will be the Summer Intern at the Shaw Festival for 2012. Under the guidance of Co-Artistic Director Eda Holmes, Robyn will experience an intense period of production rehearsal and development from first read through to season premieres. Some of the shows Robyn will witness in development include The Millionairess and Present Laughter. Robyn (seen below) will be regularly posting to her tumblr vlog across the six weeks - check in regularly and say 'hi!'.
Brock graduate Jacqueline Costa was the first DART Intern at the Shaw Festival in 2011. Jacqueline graduated with a BA (First Class Honors) in Brock University's Theatre Stream with strong interests in both production and performance. While a student her success in theatre creative research and production was seen in the Brock main-stage performances like Charles Mee's Big Love (2010) and Sharon Pollock's Blood Relations (2010) and in her work as Departmental Technical Production Assistant and Research and Production Assistant to faculty.
While at Shaw Jacqueline worked together with Lighting Design Director Kevin Lamotte and assisted with the development of his lighting designs for the 2011 performances of Cat on a Hot Tin Roof and Heartbreak House, where she also had the privilege of meeting directors Eda Holmes and Christopher Newton. Jacqueline attended various dress-tech rehearsals, show previews, read-throughs and clean-up calls. Jacqueline remarks that "it was interesting seeing lighting levels, lighting hangs, load in's and changeovers for the shows on such a grand scale at the Shaw Festival."
During the remaining weeks, Jacqueline worked with Design Director William Schmuck, where she was able to preview other shows from the 2011 season such as Drama at Inish - A Comedy and My Fair Lady. She also witnessed the build of lighting level sets for Alan Brodie's Admirable Crichton and Louise Guinard's On The Rocks. In addition, Jacqueline toured to other Shaw facilities including the properties, scenic painting and carpentry shops and met with designers Sue Lepage, Charolette Dean and Christina Poddubiuk. Jacqueline comments, "in terms of being introduced to interesting members of the professional design/theatre community, this internship succeeded."
Working closely with the Shaw Festival, Brock's Dramatic Arts Department aims to develop these programs, and many more, to it's young emerging artists - offering them post-graduate opportunities to interact and network with the greater professional performing arts community.
Also at the Shaw Festival this season are recent Department graduates working in various aspects of technical theatre production. Anrita Petraroia (DART '07) is back at the Festival this year, having helped out on a couple projects in Technical Direction last season. Chris Penney (DART '08) has secured a regular season's call in the audio department. Sadie Isaak (DART '10) is now being trained to take over the Cobbler's position in Production Wardrobe and will be joining the Wardrobe Running staff later in the season.
Mainstream’s Summer Drama Program at DART
A week long intensive introducing adults with developmental disabilities to the world of drama was held at Brock University this summer. During the morning sessions, participants were led by local theatre practitioners in various aspects of drama (i.e. Voice, Movement, Improvisation, etc.) The afternoon sessions focused on the creation of short performances which opened for the public on Friday July 29th, 2011 at 1pm.
Mainstream was founded in 1984 and continues to be a strong presence in Niagara, operating various programs to support adults with a developmental disability. Mainstream’s mission is to ‘improve the quality of life for people with a developmental disability by providing a supportive environment that strives to empower individuals with necessary skills and confidence for lifelong learning and growth.”
Visitors To Brock (2010-2011)
Nina Arsenault
February 15th, 2011 13h-14h30 DART 3P96 Studies in Praxis II
Open to the public 15-16h30
ST 107
www.ninaarsenault.com
Jen Capraru
Thursday February 17, 9h00
DART 1F95 Drama in Education and Applied Theatre I
TH 243
Artistic Director > Theatre Asylum
ISÔKO | The Theatre Source
Modern theatre for social harmony and cultural growth in Rwanda
www.isoko-rwanda.org/
www.youtube.com/watch?v=N6YoNN6RyKU
http://www.harbourfrontcentre.com/worldstage1011/themonument.cfm
www.theatreasylum.com
Greg Grainger
Thursday February 17 10h00
DART 2F41 Stage Craft
ST 108
Join students in DART 2F41 for a special presentation by a former student of DART. Grainger will speak of his academic and professional career in theatre. Now a professional technician, Grainger will answer your questions about how to succeed in the Canadian entertainment industry. Followed by a Q & A
PDF poster
8 Day ALBA Emoting workshop Guest lecturer Nancy Loitz
April 22-30 (with the 26th off)
TH141
The workshop will be taught in four hour sessions daily, with one day off. The work is described as intimate, intense, and emotional. The workshop is limited to 12 participants.
ALBA Emoting: Alba Emoting was developed by neuroscientist Dr. Susana Bloch as a safe, purely physical alternative to emotion memory for releasing, maintaining, and controlling emotional states on stage.
2011
COMMOTION AT THE OLD COURTHOUSE – YOUTH ISSUES TAKE THE STAGE
COMMOTION gave 23 Niagara students an opportunity to perform two new plays that they’ve created over a 12 week drama enrichment program at their high schools and present it at the Sullivan Mahoney Courthouse Theatre from December 9-11, 2010.
The play On the Line by Laura Secord Secondary School students tackles the influence of technology and media on young people, bullying and family relations. Students from Eastdale Secondary School have created the play Squawk: Flippin’ the Bird which explores the use and abuse of authority, decision-making and issues of identity. Both plays open up new doors for discussion with teens on what happens on the internet, the social pressures they face, and
they encourage students to share stories with their peers about their own experiences.
Roxolana Chwaluk, Caitlin English, Brandon Pachan and Trevor Rotenberg, facilitators trained through Brock University’s Drama Department have been working with the students an estimated 240 hours at their schools since September 2010.
The COMMOTION program is led by Professor Gyllian Raby with designers Michael Greves, Joe Lapinski and Doug Ledingham. This is the second year of the three year COMMOTION project and involves Carousel Players, Brock University’s Marilyn I. Walker School of Fine and Performing Arts and TALK Niagara (Teams of Adults Listening to Kids). Last year 35 students from E.L. Crossley Secondary School and St. Catharines Collegiate participated in the program. COMMOTION is made possible by SSHRC: Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada and approval from the District School Board of Niagara to work with participating high school students on the project.
see the news item for more information
2010
Dramatic Arts at CODE in 2010.
For the first time in CODE's 40-year history DART students presented a workshop as part of Celebrate Drama and Dance.
Twenty-four DART students volunteered at CODE. DART faculty Ken Garrett, Glenys McQueen-Fuentes, and Helen Zdriluk were workshop presenters. DART hosted a pre-conference wine and cheese for the CODE executive and conference committee. Six of the Friday night Carnival entertainment events were presented by Brock stud and DART was part of the trade fair on Saturday.
Break-a-leg, CODE!
2010
Congratulations to DART graduand Katherine Gottli!
At the 2010 Spring Convocation Katherine will be presented with the Humanities Board of Trustees Spirit of Brock medal.
The Board of Trustees Spirit of Brock medal is intended to recognize those students who best exemplify the spirit of Sir Isaac Brock. Students who demonstrate any one or more of the following qualities can be recommended: Leadership, Courage, Innovation, Inspiration, and Community Involvement.
DART congratulates Katherine as an outstanding member of our DART and Humanities community. Way to go, Katherine!
2010
Lyric Canada 2010
DART is a proud sponsor of the innovative upcoming conference hosted by Brock University in collaboration with the Shaw Festival of Theatre, Lyric Canada 2010. For more information see lyriccanada.ca
2010
The IFTR (International Federation for Theatre Research) 2010 World Congress Cultures of Modernity will occur this July in Munich, Germany. DART Professor's David Fancy and David Vivian are both part of the conference program. See the official website for information.
PSi16 Performing Publics was held in Toronto June 9-13. Professor Natalie Alvarez and graduate Victoria Mountain of DART were on the Program Commitee.
DART faculty presented at the recent CATR (Canadian Association for Theatre Research) conference (part of the SSHRC Congress, or "Learneds") at Concordia University in Montreal (May 2010).
In the Soil: Niagara's Homegrown Arts Festival
DART students, graduates, and faculty participated in the second annual In the Soil: Niagara's Homegrown Arts Festival. The festival featured 70 events in 11 venues in St. Catharines and area.
For more information click on the logo below:
Dr. Joe Norris appointed to the Department of Dramatic Arts at Brock University
The Department of Dramatic Arts welcomes Joe Norris to the Department as of July 1, 2009. Joe has had a long history of teaching in, through, and with drama both at the secondary and post-secondary levels and is eager to serve the Ontario educational theatre community. Please see the PDF for more information about our new colleague.
2009
DART Students participate in the annual General Brock Soiree
Every October DART students participate in a special General Brock Soirée. In 2008 the event was held in Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario. This is now a not-to-be-missed regional event held in the new Guernsey Market on the St. Catharines Main Campus.
2008
Excellence in Teaching and Research
In February 2009 Associate Professor Gyllian Raby was awarded a very significant SSHRC Research and Creation Grant in the Fine and Performing Arts for her project Devised Theatre with Youth in Niagara Schools. Gyllian’s project draws on her RSVP research and is in collaboration with Carousel Players of St. Catharines.
Services for Students with Disabilities awarded Associate Professor Dr. David Fancy the Making A Difference Award from the Services for Students with disABILITIES department in the Student Development Centre. The award was presented in April of 2009.
In 2008 our part-time instructor in Drama in Education and Society - Suzanne Burchell - received this award.
Associate Professor David Vivian was awarded the 2009 Faculty Award for Excellence in Teaching (Faculty of Humanities), presented at the 2009 June Convocation.
Part-time Instructor and recent Limited Term Appointee Helen Zdriluk was awarded the Best Practices Recognition Award, 2008 by the Brock Centre for Teaching, Learning and Educational Technologies (CTLET).
2009
Richard Maxwell and The New York City Players
Hailed by the New York Times as “one of the most innovative and essential theatre artists to emerge from American experimental theatre in the past decade,” Obie-award-winning New York City playwright and director Richard Maxwell and members of the New York City Players visited Toronto and the Brock University campus for the first time April 18th and 19th, 2009.
Students, faculty, and members of the theatre community engaged in a discussion with Richard
and members of the New York City Players in an informal workshop that included a mini-retrospective of their productions to date and exercises demonstrating principles that are central to their work. The evening concluded with a site-specific show entitled Showcase that takes place in a hotel room. Showcase plumbs the thoughts of a businessman absorbed in the world of his private, hotel room as he and his shadow examine his past.
2009
Other News about DART
At the 2008 Fall Convocation, DART graduate Jacelyn Holmes received the Spirit of Brock award. The 23-year-old dramatic arts student received special recognition from the university for her academic work and contribution to life at the school. "Art is life!" she declared after receiving her award, which is given to one student who is deemed to embody the spirit of Sir Isaac Brock by inspiring other students.
2008
The Marilyn I. Walker School of Fine and Performing Arts
Our Department is proud to be a key recipient of the generosity of our local patron, renowned Canadian fibre artist Marilyn Walker. On November 5, 2008 the university announced that she has donated $15 million to Brock's School of Fine and Performing Arts -- the largest donation the University has ever received. With gratitude our School has been renamed the The Marilyn I. Walker School of Fine and Performing Arts. Please see here for more information about this ground-breaking and future-building event. Thank-you, Marilyn!
2008
New Concentrations in DART
Beginning with the 2009/10 academic year DART students choose to pursue their studies in one of five concentrations: Applied Theatre, Drama in Education, Performance, Production and Design, and Theatre Praxis.
The previous streams of Dramatic Literature, Drama in Education and Society, and Theatre will be concluded over the next few years.
Please see the Academic Calendar for more details.
Fanshawe College
The Department of Dramatic Arts and the Theatre Arts program of Fanshawe College (London, Ontario) maintain an Articulation Agreement. This degree-completion program awards a maximum of 10.0 credits to applicants with an overall 75% average upon transfer from the 2-year diploma in Theatre Arts Program at Fanshawe College (Performance, THP1).
Please click here for more information on the Articulation Agreement. Please click here for more information about the application process. NB: Transfer students usually require an OUAC 105D-type application.
Canadian Actor Brent Carver Visits DART
Star of the the Stratford Shakespeare Festival, Broadway, Soulpepper Theatre Company, and cinema (among his many successes), Canadian actor Brent Carver visited the students of the Department of Dramatic Arts to talk about his upcoming return to the Stratford Festival and his experiences training and maintaining a career in theatre. Carver attended the second last performance of Big Love, produced by the Department of Dramatic Arts in the Sean O'Sullivan Theatre of Brock University.
2010
Chair in Creativity, Imagination and Innovation
On February 10, 2010 Brock University announced the creation and first recipient of the Marilyn I. Walker Chair in Creativity, Imagination and Innovation. The Chair was awarded to the Director of the Marilyn I. Walker School of Fine and Performing Arts for the duration of their term as Director.
Derek Knight, the current Director of the Marilyn I. Walker School of Fine and Performing Arts, is the first person to hold the position. The endowed Chair supports building the school’s programs, enhancing its facilities and positioning it to be one of the best fine arts schools in North America, if not the world.
Marilyn I. Walker, Professor Derek Knight,
and Dean Rosemary Hale
2010
A Little Night Music goes right to the source
Stephen Sondheim's A Little Night Music was waltzing across the stage at Brock University this past November. To prepare this gem of lyric theatre the director and company of actors and singers recently took their questions right to the source.
Using a video conference link-up from the famed Friars Club in Manhattan, the Canadian actor and director Len Cariou answered our students probing questions about the development of A Little Night Music for the 1973 Broadway premiere. Cariou won a Tony nomination for the role of Frederic Egerman in the original production. He recreated the role for the 1977 Harold Prince-directed screen adaptation with Elizabeth Taylor. Six years later he won both the Tony and a Drama Desk Award for his portrayal of Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber Of Fleet Street. His recent credits include the 2002 casting in the award-winning drama Proof. Cariou's film credits include Flags of Our Fathers, About Schmidt, Thirteen Days, and The Four Seasons. He played the father in the 2007 film 1408. On television, Cariou has appeared in The West Wing, Law & Order, Star Trek: Voyager, The Practice, Ed, The Outer Limits, and multiple episodes of Murder, She Wrote. He had a continuing role in 2006-2007 as power broker Judd Fitzgerald in the Showtime series Brotherhood.
Cariou spoke with candour and humour about the creation of the musical and his challenges as a young actor. For almost an hour he regaled the students of the Departments of Dramatic Arts and Music with personal stories and professional insight. After saying their goodbyes and making a promise to report back to Cariou about their experience, Brock student Trevor Rotenberg - who plays the role of Frederic Egerman in this production - exclaimed, "I was really moved by his enthusiasm and generosity. Cariou made the challenge of bringing the role to life so much more real for me - he helped me understand how through music and lyrics we can talk about very real and important human things. He helped me see my future: this was the real deal." After the meeting with Cariou the company rehearsed for three hours, energized by his infectious enthusiasm.
A fresh young approach to a whirl of intoxicating music, dance and witty lyrics, the production of A Little Night Music ran in the Sean O'Sullivan Theatre November 12-14, 2009. The show was directed by Virginia Reh and designed by David Vivian, both of the Department of Dramatic Arts. Harris Loewen of the Department of Music lead a cast of 17 talented young performers through this musical based on Ingmar Bergman's Smiles of a Summer Night.
2009
Niagara Centre for the Arts Receives $36 Million
The city-owned Niagara Centre for the Arts will be adjacent to Brock’s Marilyn I. Walker School of Fine and Performing Arts. The project is “the cornerstone of Council’s vision for a revitalized downtown,” St. Catharines Mayor Brian McMullan said.
Brock University President Jack Lightstone hailed the announcement. “This is a day we have all been looking forward to for a long time,” he said, “not just because this cultural landmark will complement our Marilyn I. Walker School of Fine and Performing Arts, but because it illustrates how a whole community can benefit when people work together.”
2008
The design project work of our students was shown for the first time in the Canadian Schools of Theatre exhibit at the Prague Quadrennial in June 2007.
Click on the image above to see a short Quicktime presentation of the exhibit (8.6 Mb). You will need a Quicktime player plug-in.
If you are on a low bandwidth connection: click here for a smaller and faster loading presentation (1.5 Mb).
Canadian Schools of Theatre exhibit at
the Prague Quadrennial, June 2007
Canadian Schools of Theatre exhibit at
Place des Arts, Montreal, September 2007
2007